Book Haul: the books I got and those I didn't...

Don't you hate it when Half Price Books is having their 20% off sale and you can't think of a single thing to go look for? And then, the next weekend, you come up with at least 5 books to look for so you go and find even more? Yeah, that's exactly what happened to me this weekend. Except I didn't find a single one that I actually went for, which is kind of disappointing. So I'm going to share the books I did find, randomly, and then the ones I went looking for because I think they're interesting and maybe you'll have some suggestions where to look or alternate titles!

Starting from the top in my picture, I was browsing the children's section and they had a large selection of From the Mixed-Up Files... and then this little book by the same author that looked fun and perfect for my October spooky reads. 

A Baby-Sitters Club Mystery Super Special that I didn't know existed because I haven't read any of the mysteries yet and I'm super far behind in my reviews but it's okay because I'm getting back to them this week and I will be doing them for the rest of my life. :D

I didn't know Fear Street was coming back so this looks really really cool! And makes me want to find the originals.

I thought my boyfriend might like this Nicholas Flamel series so we got the first one to try out. (Harry Potter reference)

I got these last 2 books on different days, at different stores, but they're surprisingly similar at first glance. We All Looked Up and The Last Boy & Girl in the World...both deal with "end of the world/town" times and look really interesting. I'm starting Vivian's at work today.

(thanks Sasha for your help!)

And now, let's get to the books I wanted but couldn't find. (This is where you come in!) I just finished Dancer, which is a historical fiction story about Russian ballet dancer Rudolph Nureyev and immediately wanted to read his real story. From the reviews, I picked out Diane Solway's book but alas, I did not find it in the store. (I did just find it cheap on Amazon, so I guess I will do that.) I highly recommend this book though! It's so interesting and different from anything I've read in a long time. And to get you even more hooked, here he is dancing with a pig (sadly, not Miss Piggy) on the Muppet Show. :D What's the last book that made you want to read all about the person? Is there a historical fiction or biography of a famous performer that I should add to my to-buy list? Comment below!

The 2nd book(s) I went looking for was thanks to a Doctor Who episode I watched last week: The Girl in the Fireplace. It featured Madame de Pompadour, the infamous French courtesan to King Louis XV. I want to read Madame de Pompadour: A Life to get the real look but really want Jean Plaidy's Louis the Well Beloved. When I was totally obsessed with Henry VIII (thanks to The Other Boleyn Girl), I loved Plaidy's books too. Do you have any suggestions for books on Madame de Pompadour/Reinette?

Is it too early for Halloween posts? Never!!!

I am starting my Halloween obsession extra early this year y'all. Last year, I at least managed to wait until October hah! I don't know why, maybe because the stores put the holiday stuff out earlier and earlier each year. Or I'm just really ready for cooler temperatures here in Texas. Either way, this is me:

So yeah, I'm already gathering Halloween decor (I highly suggest Dollar Tree and At Home) and finding fun crafts to do and thinking about what spooky books I want to read. And I'm going to share a few of these things with you today and also ask for some book suggestions! What's your absolute must-read for October/fall/Halloween? I'll probably be sharing some of mine as the months go on too.

In the bookstagram world, book displays are getting more and more elaborate. I tend to be a little more basic with mine but here are two fun and easy ones that I'm going to do for October. I already bought some legs hah! What's your favorite Halloweeny book picture you've done or seen? Share it in the comments!

 (not sure of sources for these, so if you know, share please!)

These classic literature monster posters are so cool! I think I'll print some out for my bedside table. (Joking...except maybe Frankenstein's monster) That's a great price though for all 4! I want to do a fun spooky display in my roll-top desk cabinet and these will work nicely I think.

And ending on a "so cute I squealed" note, check out this happy little campfire scene by Lucy Fleming. I hope her shop opens up again soon so I can buy some prints!

Review: "From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler"

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by EL Konigsburg
5 out of 5 stars

I don't know how I missed this one as a kid y'all. It was made for me. Okay, if it had been set in a library, THEN it would have been made for me. But this is pretty darn close. Wait. IS there a book where the kids get trapped/stay in a library overnight? If so, I NEEEED it! This book was published in 1967, which could be part of why I didn't read it, but still. It is so good!

First of all, the main girl is named Claudia Kincaid and is 12 years old, her younger brother is called Jamie, and they run off to New York City. Hello, BSC nods. Claudia is going to run away. She was the oldest child and the only girl and was subject to a lot of injustice. She saves her money for weeks and weeks, almost forgetting why she's actually running away, and makes extensive and detailed plans. ...she decided that her leaving home would not be just running from somewhere but would be running to something. Specifically, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. (The MET) Her plan involves Jamie and his vast savings of $24.43, their instrument cases stuffed with socks & underwear, a note to their parents to not call the FBI, and hiding out in the bathrooms until the museum closed at night.

The book is loosely narrated by the enigmatic Mrs Basil E Frankweiler, a rich old lady who meets the children towards the end of their adventure and is captivated by their story. This is a surprisingly smart story for children. The author doesn't dumb things down for its readers but instead uses the big words and concepts and then explains them, usually to 9 year old Jamie. Mrs Basil E has some wonderful quotes too.

"I think you should learn, of course, and some days you must learn a great deal.  But you should also have days when you allow what is already in you to swell up inside of you until it touches everything. And you can feel it inside you. If you never take time out to let that happen, then you just accumulate facts, and they begin to rattle around inside of you. You can make noise with them, but never really feel anything with them. It's hollow."

The children spend their days wandering the museum, actually learning things for once, and investigating the mysterious marble statue called Angel, rumored to be done by Michelangelo. This statue just happened to have been donated to the museum by Mrs Basil E. At night, they sleep amidst the old and musty and think about how hungry they are. They manage to stay gone for a solid week but at last, they end up at Mrs Basil E's mansion, tired and a little bit homesick. They ask her for the truth of the Angel and in exchange, she wants their account of their time away from home. And she writes it all down for her lawyer, (who has a surprising connection to the children) along with requests to update her will, which eventually becomes the book.

"...nothing is ever enough. Except the part you carry with you. It's the same as going on a vacation. Some people spend all their time on a vacation taking pictures so that when they get home they can show their friends evidence that they had a good time. They don't pause to let the vacation enter inside of them and take that home."

Review: "Mary Anne Saves the Day: The Baby-Sitters Club Graphic Novel #3"

Mary Anne Saves the Day: The Baby-Sitters Club Graphic Novel #3 by Raina Telgemeier
4 out of 5 stars

Claudia's purple hair is still driving me crazy, but at least they're being consistent. I really love that they're continuing these graphic novels. They're a great way for new fans to get introduced to the series and for old fans (like me lol) to have something new to take them back to their childhood. Again, the cover outfits and styling are pretty accurate, which is nice. Although, is Claudia wearing Uggs??

Okay, brief review of the plot if you've forgotten (or go read my original review here): Kristy takes a job for Jamie & Lucy Newton without offering it to the others first and causes the BSCers first big fight. Lots of name-calling and tears. Mary Anne meets the new girl, Dawn Schafer, and they totally hit it off. Mary Anne saves the day (see what I did there?) when Jenny Prezzioso gets super sick. The BSCers realize they're being stupid after they nearly ruin Jamie's party, they make up, and ask Dawn to join the club.

 (click any of the pictures to make bigger and see details!)

Now let's talk details. Once again, love the artwork and seeing the minor characters come to life. I never pictured Mary Anne's dad with a hipster beard though. Dawn is pretty plain but at least they got her long blonde hair right. And she has peace earrings on. But I just realized they never show Jeff, that's weird. The Prezzioso's are exactly how I pictured. Oh no, do you think they'll do Mimi's book? I don't think I could handle that one in a graphic novel!

And it was so much fun to see the Pike family!! There are so many of them lol...

There's a bit of upgrading...Dawn has a DVD player (but they still watch The Parent Trap, thank goodness) and Claudia plays CD's. And we get extra background, like finding out Mary Anne's mom died of cancer. I don't think we ever know that in the regular books, do we? I kind of thought she died during childbirth. Mary Anne visits her mom's grave at one point too. Oh and Mr Prezzioso gives Dawn & Mary Anne $50 each instead of $10 wow!!

Overall, another great book that stays true to the originals in all the best ways. And did you see that Kristy's Big Day just came out? With that awful yellow dress lol. I hope they eventually do go back and do the ones they skipped though. That bothers my little organized brain. :D

2018: Hydrate

Instead of resolutions, I usually like to pick a word for the year to focus on. This year, I chose "hydrate", which may seem an odd choice for a book resolution but hear me out.

Hydrate my mind by:

1. Bringing back my "classic book a month". I've been feeling under-stimulated with my reading lately so I think this will help. I've started with Rainbow Valley, the 7th Anne of Green Gables book, but I'm not sure if I will count that as my classic or not. Actually I started with Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises and it did not go well, at all. (I dumped it after 90 pages.) If you have a suggestion for a classic for me, please share it below or check out my classic a month and classic tag for ones I've read in the past!

2. Continue blogging my way thru The Baby-Sitters Club books. I enjoy doing this so much so I don't know why I start slacking off every few months. I started my reread almost exactly 7 years ago and I'm barely halfway thru. I want to make a good dent in it this year.

3. Branch out in my genres a bit. Try some poetry and plays again, definitely some nonfiction, not sure what else. Any suggestions for those would be appreciated too!

4. I'm not going to set a blogging goal, aside from the BSC, because I don't want to let myself (and my few readers) down. If I feel like blogging, I will. And a good sign: I was originally just going to have this as a shorter post on my Facebook page but felt like expanding on it here!

5. Get back to taking more Bookstagram pics. I love doing them and seeing them. (My Instagram)

Hydrate my body by:

1. Literally hydrating myself...drinking more water! I do okay, I mostly just drink water anyway, but need to up it a little more, especially at work.

2. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. This cold winter air has been killing my skin, especially my lips. (Which reminds me, putting lip balm on right now!)

3. Stop putting so much junk food into my body and put more healthy options in. They make me feel better and I lose weight, imagine that! I've done pretty well (let's not count this last weekend though) so far.

4. Moving more. Yoga, walking, dancing, whatever. See #3 re: feeling better and losing weight.

Hydrate my soul by:

1. Meditating. Calming my mind after a long crazy day at work with 10-15 minutes of just focusing on breathing really helps. My boyfriend recommended the Headspace app so I'm going to give that a shot.

2. Doing the things I love. See all of the above but also getting out into the world, travelling, going to art museums and concerts, just enjoying life. 2017 was amaaaazing and I can't wait to see what the next 12 months bring!